Spinal fixation system

ABSTRACT

A polyaxial pedicle screw includes a housing, a bone screw member, and an anvil. The bone screw member includes a head and a threaded shaft extending from the head. The head is selectively securable within the housing. The anvil is positionable within the housing adjacent to the head of the bone screw member when the anvil and the head of the bone screw member are positioned within the housing. The anvil may define one or more grooves in an outer surface of the anvil. The groove defines a flap that is flexibly attached to the anvil to enable the anvil to flex an amount sufficient to maintain the head of the bone screw in constant contact with the anvil when the bone screw member is moved relative to the anvil.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/375,354 filed Aug. 20, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to orthopedic surgery with particular regard to spinal surgery. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to spinal fixation systems.

2. Description of Related Art

The spinal column is a complex system of bones and connective tissues that provide support for the human body and protection for the spinal cord and nerves. The adult spine is comprised of an upper and lower portion. The upper portion contains 24 discrete bones, which are subdivided into three areas including 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae and 5 lumbar vertebrae. The lower portion is comprised of the sacral and coccygeal bones. The cylindrical shaped bones, called vertebral bodies, progressively increase in size from the upper portion downwards to the lower portion.

An intervertebral disc along with two posterior facet joints cushion and dampen the various translational and rotational forces exerted upon the spinal column. The intervertebral disc is a spacer located between two vertebral bodies. The facets provide stability to the posterior portion of adjacent vertebrae. The spinal cord is housed in the canal of the vertebral bodies. It is protected posteriorly by the lamina. The lamina is a curved surface with three main protrusions. Two transverse processes extend laterally from the lamina, while the spinous process extends caudally and posteriorly. The vertebral bodies and lamina are connected by a bone bridge called the pedicle.

The spine is a flexible structure capable of a large range of motion. There are various disorders, diseases and types of injury which restrict the range of motion of the spine or interfere with important elements of the nervous system. The problems include, but are not limited to, scoliosis, kyphosis, excessive lordosis, spondylolisthesis, slipped or ruptured discs, degenerative disc disease, vertebral body fracture, and tumors. Persons suffering from any of the above conditions typically experience extreme or debilitating pain and often times diminished nerve function. These conditions and their treatments can be further complicated if the patient is suffering from osteoporosis, or bone tissue thinning and loss of bone density.

Spinal fixation apparatuses are widely employed in surgical processes for correcting spinal injuries and diseases. When the disc has degenerated to the point of requiring removal, there are a variety of interbody implants that are utilized to take the place of the disc. These include, PEEK interbody spacers, metal cages and cadaver and human bone implants. In order to facilitate stabilizing the spine and keeping the interbody in position, other implants are commonly employed, including longitudinally linked rods secured to coupling elements, which in turn are secured to the bone by spinal bone fixation fasteners such as pedicle screws, hooks, and others. The opposing pair of longitudinally linked rods is commonly disposed along the long axis of the spine via a posterior approach. Pedicle screws can be manufactured from any biocompatible material, including cobalt chrome, stainless steel, titanium and PEEK (polyetheretherketone).

To meet the problem of providing a rigid pedicle screw and rod construct, especially for addressing the demands of stiff deformity corrections, larger rod constructs have been made to improve the strength of the screw and rod construct. Spinal rods are typically made of titanium alloy. However, when large deformity corrections are necessary these rods are not always strong enough. Larger diameter stainless steel rods have been made for these applications, but a larger rod requires a larger mating screw head to contain the rod, which, in turn, increases the profile of the construct. In addition, in order to reduce the likelihood of material incompatibility in vivo, the screw assembly also needs to be made of stainless steel to match the rod material, which is not a cost effective alternative.

Therefore, a need exists for a cost effective, rigid screw and rod construct that can still maintain large, stiff deformity corrections.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to a polyaxial pedicle screw including a housing, a bone screw member, and an anvil. The bone screw member is selectively positionable at a plurality of angles relative to the housing when engaged to the housing and securable relative to the housing at a cone angle of up to approximately 80 degrees. The bone screw member includes a head and a threaded shaft extending from the head. The head is selectively securable within the housing. The head may include surface texture that frictionally engages with the anvil such that a user applied force is necessary to reposition the bone screw member relative to the anvil when the bone screw member is disposed in engagement with the anvil. The head of the bone screw member includes a first portion and a second portion. Only one of the first and second portions enable the head to fit through an opening defined in the housing and the other of the first and second portions maintains the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted. One of the first and second portions may be cylindrically shaped and the other of the first and second portions may be spherically shaped. The cylindrically shaped portion enables the head to fit through the opening in the housing in an insertion orientation of the screw head relative to the housing, and the spherically shaped portion maintains the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted and moved away from the insertion orientation.

The anvil is positionable within the housing adjacent to the head of the bone screw member when the anvil and the head of the bone screw member are positioned within the housing. A set screw is positionable within the housing to secure a rod member within the housing adjacent the anvil.

The anvil may define one or more grooves in an outer surface of the anvil. The groove defines one or more flaps. The one or more flaps are flexibly attached to the anvil to enable the anvil to flex an amount sufficient to maintain the head of the bone screw member in constant frictional contact with the anvil when the bone screw member is moved relative to the anvil.

The anvil may define a cavity having a surface with a plurality of radii of curvature to accommodate rod members of variously sized diameters. The surface of the cavity may define a first section with a first radius of curvature, a second section with a second radius of curvature, and a third section with a third radius of curvature. In this respect, the plurality of radii of curvature defines a compound curve that provides two or more lines of contact on a plurality of different diameter rod members.

The outer surface of the anvil may have a non-round shape to prevent disorientation of the anvil when positioning the rod member adjacent the anvil. The anvil may include a protuberance on the outer surface of the anvil and the housing may define a slot on an inner surface of the housing. The protuberance and the slot may be engagable to maintain the alignment of the anvil with respect to the housing.

A compression ring or cap may be securable to the housing to prevent the bone screw member from re-orienting to a position in which the cylindrically shaped portion of the screw head is aligned with the housing opening. The housing may include a collar extending therefrom. The collar may define a cut out to facilitate the positioning of the head within the housing. The compression ring or cap is securable (such as by friction fit, gluing, welding or the like) to the collar to cover the cut out after the head of the bone screw member is positioned within the housing.

According to one aspect, a polyaxial pedicle screw includes a bone screw member, a housing, one or more wedge members, and one or more pins. The housing is positionable on the head of the bone screw member and defines one or more pin channels therethrough. One or more wedge members are positionable within the housing adjacent the head to facilitate the securement of the head of the bone screw member and a rod member within the housing. A set screw is threadably engagable with an inner surface of the housing to secure a rod member adjacent the wedge member.

The one or more wedge members define one or more pin pockets in an outer surface thereof. The one or more pins are positionable within the one or more pin channels. The one or more pin pockets maintain the one or more wedge members within the housing.

The bone screw member is selectively positionable at a plurality of angles relative to the housing when engaged to the housing and securable relative to the housing at a cone angle of up to approximately 80 degrees. The bone screw member has a threaded shaft and a head. The head of the bone screw member includes a first portion and a second portion. Only one of the first and second portions enable the head to fit through an opening defined in the housing and the other of the first and second portions maintains the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted. One of the first and second portions is cylindrically shaped and the other of the first and second portions is spherically shaped. The cylindrically shaped portion enables the head to fit through the opening in the housing. The spherically shaped portion maintains the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted.

The polyaxial pedicle screw may include a first wedge member and a second wedge member. Each of the first and second wedge members are positionable adjacent the head of the bone screw member. The first wedge member and the second wedge member define a cavity having a surface with a plurality of radii of curvature to accommodate variously sized rod members. The surface of the cavity defines a first section with a first radius of curvature, a second section with a second radius of curvature, and a third section with a third radius of curvature.

A compression ring or cap may be securable to the housing to prevent the bone screw member from re-orienting to a position in which the cylindrically shaped portion of the head of the bone screw member is aligned with the housing opening.

According to one aspect, a polyaxial pedicle screw includes a bone screw member and a housing. The bone screw member includes a head having a threaded shaft extending from the head. The housing is positionable on the head of the bone screw and has a distal opening. The bone screw member is positionable at a plurality of angles relative to the housing when engaged to the housing and securable relative to the housing at angles within a cone angle of up to approximately 80 degrees. A set screw is positionable within the housing to secure a rod member within the housing adjacent the anvil.

The head includes a first portion and a second portion. The first head portion is configured and dimensioned to pass through the housing distal opening and the second head portion is configured and dimensioned not to pass through the housing distal opening. The first head portion may include a substantially cylindrically shaped section. The cylindrically shaped section defines a diameter that is less than the diameter of the housing distal opening. The second portion of the head may define a diameter larger than the diameter of the housing distal opening. The second portion of the head may include a substantially spherical section.

The housing may further define a collar extending from the distal end of the housing. The collar may define a cut out section. As can be appreciated, the screw assumes an insertion position with the neck of the screw disposed in the cut out section with the cylindrically shaped section of the head aligned with the housing distal opening.

An anvil is positionable within the housing adjacent to the head of the bone screw member when the anvil and the head of the bone screw member are positioned within the housing. The anvil defines one or more grooves in an outer surface of the anvil. The groove defines one or more flaps. The one or more flaps are flexibly attached to the anvil to enable the anvil to flex an amount sufficient to maintain the head of the bone screw member in constant contact with the anvil. The anvil defines a cavity having a surface with a plurality of radii of curvature to accommodate variously sized rod members. The surface of the cavity defines a first section with a first radius of curvature, a second section with a second radius of curvature, and a third section with a third radius of curvature such that the plurality of radii of curvature defines a compound curve that provides two or more lines of contact on a plurality of different diameter rod members. The outer surface of the anvil may have a non-round shape to prevent disorientation of the anvil when positioning a rod member adjacent the anvil. The anvil may include a protuberance on the outer surface of the anvil and the housing may define a slot on an inner surface of the housing. The protuberance and the slot are engagable to maintain the alignment of the anvil with respect to the housing.

The head of the bone screw member may include surface texture that frictionally engages with the anvil such that a user applied force is necessary to reposition the bone screw member relative to the anvil when the bone screw member is disposed in engagement with the anvil without a rod in the housing.

A cap is securable to the housing to prevent the bone screw member from re-orienting to a position in which the screw head first portion is aligned with the housing distal opening.

According to yet another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method of assembling a pedicle screw. The method includes providing a pedicle screw including a bone screw member and a housing. The bone screw member includes a head having a threaded shaft extending from the head. The head includes a first portion and a second portion. The housing is positionable on the head of the bone screw and has a distal opening. The first head portion is configured and dimensioned to pass through the housing distal opening and the second head portion is configured and dimensioned not to pass through the housing distal opening. The method involves the steps of positioning the screw relative to the housing such that the first housing portion is aligned with the housing distal opening, inserting the screw head through the housing distal opening with the first head portion aligned with the distal opening, and rotating the screw relative to the housing such that the first head portion is no longer aligned with the housing distal opening and the second head portion prevents the screw head from exiting through the distal opening.

One step of the method includes mounting a collar onto the housing with the screw head disposed in the housing to prevent the screw from reassuming the position with the cylindrically shaped section aligned with the housing distal opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional, side view of polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a bottom, perspective view of a housing of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side, perspective view of an anvil of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the anvil shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a set screw;

FIG. 9 is an exploded, perspective view of another embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a bottom, perspective view of a housing of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an anvil of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the anvil of FIG. 11 illustrating how variously sized rod members are positioned relative to the anvil;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw with a rod member secured thereto with a set screw in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is an exploded, perspective view of yet another embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged, perspective view of an anvil of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 14;

FIGS. 16-17 are progressive perspective views illustrating assembly steps of the polyaxial pedicle screw of FIG. 14 in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is an exploded, perspective view of yet another embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of first and second wedge members of the polyaxial pedicle screw shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is top view of the first and second wedge members shown in FIG. 19; and

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the polyaxial pedicle screw in an assembled configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Particular embodiments of the present disclosure will be described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in the drawings and as described throughout the following description, and as is traditional when referring to relative positioning on an object, the terms “proximal” and “trailing” may be employed interchangeably, and should be understood as referring to the portion of a structure that is closer to a clinician during proper use. The terms “distal” and “leading” may also be employed interchangeably, and should be understood as referring to the portion of a structure that is farther from the clinician during proper use. In addition, the term “cephalad” or “cranial” is used in this application to indicate a direction toward a patient's head, whereas the term “caudad” indicates a direction toward the patient's feet. Further still, the term “medial” indicates a direction toward the middle of the body of the patient, whilst the term “lateral” indicates a direction toward a side of the body of the patient (i.e., away from the middle of the body of the patient). The term “posterior” indicates a direction toward the patient's back, and the term “anterior” indicates a direction toward the patient's front. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in unnecessary detail.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, the present disclosure is directed to a polyaxial pedicle (multi-planar) screw that can provide a connection, via a spinal rod, between adjacent vertebrae not in the same plane. One embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw is generally referred to as 100. The polyaxial pedicle screw 100 includes a housing 110, a compression ring or cap 120, an anvil 130, a bone screw member 140, and a set screw 150 (FIG. 8).

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the housing 110 defines an opening 112 therethrough that permits the reception of any suitable driving instrument (not shown) therethrough. The housing includes opposing walls 110 a, 110 b that define a U-shaped channel 111 therebetween. Each opposing wall 110 a, 110 b includes an external flanged recess 113 that is configured to facilitate grasping of the housing 110 by an instrument (not shown) that can also be used to facilitate insertion of the pedicle screw 100 into a pedicle of a vertebral body. The internal surfaces of opposing walls 110 a, 110 b include threaded portions 115 that are threadably engagable with external threads 152 of the set screw 150 (FIG. 8) to facilitate the securement of a rod member 160 (see FIGS. 12 and 13) within the channel 111 of the housing 110 adjacent the anvil 130.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the housing 110 includes a collar 114 extending therefrom. The collar 114 may have a smaller diameter than the diameter defined by the opposing walls 110 a, 110 b of the housing 110. The collar 114 is adapted to facilitate the securement of the compression ring or cap 120 to the housing 110 once the bone screw member 140 is secured to the housing 110. The collar 114 has a cut out 114 a that provides a recess for the reception of a portion of the bone screw member 140, namely a neck 146 of the bone screw member 140. The cut out 114 a facilitates the positioning of the bone screw member 140 within the housing 110 from a distal end of the housing 110. In this respect, when the bone screw member 140 is positioned perpendicular (or substantially perpendicular; see e.g., FIG. 16) to the opening 112 (e.g., positioned within a longitudinal axis “L” of the pedicle screw 100 {see FIG. 1} and in axial alignment with a transverse axis “B” extending through cut out 114 a {see FIG. 5} such that a longitudinal axis “C” of the bone screw member 140 {see FIG. 2} is perpendicular (or substantially perpendicular) to a longitudinal axis “A” of the housing 110 which extends through opening 112), the neck 146 is positioned within the cut out 114 a and a head 142 of the bone screw member 140 is positioned within the opening 112 with cylindrical surfaces (described in greater detail below) of the bone screw head 142 also aligned perpendicular (or substantially perpendicular) to longitudinal axis “A.” To this end, upon rotation of a threaded shaft 144 of the bone screw member 140 into coaxial alignment with longitudinal axis “A” of the opening 112 (see e.g., FIG. 17), the head 142, by virtue of a smaller dimensioned cylindrically shaped first portion 142 a of the head 142, slides into the housing 110. Once the screw head 142 is disposed inside the housing 110 with the shaft 144 oriented away from the insertion position, a larger dimensioned spherically shaped second portion 142 b of the head 142 maintains the bone screw member 140 within the housing 110.

As discussed above, the bone screw member 140 includes a head 142 and a threaded shaft 144 extending from the head 142. The bone screw member 140 may be a self-starting fastener or self-tapping fastener. With reference to FIG. 2, the head 142 is selectively securable within the housing 110 and includes a first portion 142 a and a second portion 142 b. The head 142, as best illustrated in FIG. 4, includes a driving recess 142 c, which may be hexolobular or any other suitable configuration, defined in a proximal surface of the head 142. The driving recess 142 c is engagable with any suitable driving instrument (not shown) to enable the driving instrument to advance the bone screw member 140 within bone. The first portion 142 a, which may have substantially cylindrical surfaces (but any suitable shape is contemplated), enables the head 142 to fit through the opening 112 defined in the housing 110 from the distal end of the housing 110. In particular, opposed cylindrical surfaces of the first portion 142 a may be positioned in co-axial alignment transverse to axis “A” (simultaneously, the opposed spherical surfaces of the second portion 142 b are coaxial with axis “A”; see FIG. 16) of the opening 112 (while the shaft 144 is perpendicular to axis “A” by virtue of the neck 146 being seated in cut out 114 a) to enable the head 142 to securably fit into housing 110 upon the rotation of the shaft 144 into coaxial alignment with axis “A.”. The second portion 142 b, which may have substantially spherical surfaces (but any suitable shape is contemplated), maintains the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 within the housing 110 once the head 142 is fully inserted from the distal end of the housing 110 as discussed above.

The effective diameter of the first portion 142 a, e.g., the cylindrical section of the screw head 142, is dimensioned to be smaller than the distal opening 112 of the housing 110, so that the cylindrical section can pass through the distal opening 112 into the housing 110. The diameter of the second portion 142 b, e.g., the spherical section of the screw head 142, is dimensioned to be larger than the diameter of the distal opening 112 of the housing 110, so that when the screw head 142 is disposed within the housing 110 and the cylindrical section is not aligned with the distal opening 112, the diameter of the spherical section prevents the screw head 142 from exiting the housing 110 through the distal opening 112.

As discussed below, the compression ring or cap 120 may be slid over the shaft 144 and affixed (such as by friction, threading, bayonette mount, gluing, ultrasonic or other welding or the like) to the collar 114 of the housing 110 to further secure the bone screw member 140 to the housing 110. Once inserted, the bone screw member 140 is selectively positionable at plurality of angles relative to the housing 110 when engaged to the housing 110. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the bone screw member 140 may be fixedly securable relative to the housing 110 at a cone angle α in the range of 60 to 80 degrees, preferably 70 degrees, from the longitudinal axis “L” extending through the polyaxial pedicle screw 100.

The compression ring or cap 120 may be securable to the collar 114 to cover the cut out 114 a after the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 is positioned within the housing 110 to prevent the bone screw member 140 from re-orienting to a position in which the first portion 142 a, namely the cylindrical surfaces, of the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 is aligned with the opening 112 of the housing 110. As can be appreciated, when the bone screw member 140 is positioned within cut out 114 a of collar as discussed above, the bone screw member 140 is positioned transverse to the opening 112 and may be oriented with the cylindrical section aligned with the distal housing opening 112 such that the screw head 142 is movable into the housing 110 without inhibition from the second portion 142 b, which, as discussed above, otherwise maintains the bone screw member 140 within the housing 110 once the screw head 142 is disposed inside the housing 110. Thus, the compression ring or cap 120 covers the cut out 114 a portion of the collar 114 so the shaft 144 of the bone screw member 140 cannot be re-oriented to a position in which the first portion 142 a, namely the cylindrical surfaces, of the head 142 are co-axial with the opening 112 of the housing 110.

As depicted in FIG. 4, the anvil 130 is positionable within the housing 110 adjacent the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 when the anvil 130 and the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 are positioned within the housing 110 to facilitate the securement of a rod member 160 (see FIGS. 12-13) within the housing 110. With brief reference to FIG. 8, the set screw 150 is positionable within the housing 110, e.g., via threading engagement, to secure the rod member 160 within the housing 110 adjacent the anvil 130. As can be appreciated, the set screw 150 may be formed of titanium or titanium alloy. The set screw 150 includes a driving interface 154 that is engagable with any suitable driving instrument to threadably engage the set screw 150 within the housing 110.

Referring to FIGS. 6-7, the anvil 130 includes a body 132 defining a passage 134 which permits the reception of a driving instrument therethrough. With particular reference to FIG. 7, the passage 134 includes a top portion 134 a and a bottom portion 134 b separated by an edge 134 c. The bottom portion 134 b includes arcuate surfaces 135 to accommodate spherical movement of the head 142 of the bone screw 140 when positioned therein. The body 132 also defines an arcuate cavity 136 at a proximal end thereof for the reception of a rod member 160 (FIG. 12) which will be described in greater detail below. The body 132 defines one or more grooves 138 a in an outer surface 132 a of the anvil 130. Each groove 138 a defines one or more flaps 138 b. As depicted in FIG. 6, the anvil 130 may include a pair of opposing flaps 138 b that act as cantilever beam springs. The one or more flaps 138 b are flexibly attached to the anvil 130 adjacent the cavity 136 to enable the anvil 130 to flex an amount sufficient to maintain the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 in constant contact with the anvil 130 when the bone screw member 140 is moved relative to the anvil 130. In this respect, the one or more flaps 138 b provide sufficient resistance (against inner surfaces of the housing 20) to prevent any laxity or unintended movement between the anvil 130 and the head 142 of the bone screw member 140. As can be appreciated, the spring force provided by the flaps 138 b creates friction between the bone screw member 140 and the housing 110, thus stabilizing the assembly and making it easier to introduce a rod member 160.

With continued reference to FIG. 6, the cavity 136 has a surface 137 with a plurality of radii of curvature to accommodate variously sized rod members 160. With brief reference to FIG. 12, a first rod member 160 a having a first diameter is shown positioned in the cavity 136; in comparison, a second rod member 160 b having a second diameter is also shown positioned in the cavity 136. When first rod member 160 a is placed against the arcuate surfaces of the anvil 130, the first rod member 10 a nests easily against the anvil 130 because the first rod member 160 a closely corresponds to the arc of the arcuate surfaces of the anvil 130. When the second rod member 160 b, a larger diameter rod, is positioned against the arcuate surfaces of the anvil 130 and the set screw 150 is tightened against the second rod member 160 b, the second rod member 160 b is similarly nested in the arcuate surfaces of the anvil 130 but is seated slightly more prominently. Of course, two rod diameters are shown in FIG. 12 for illustrative purposes only, and in practice only one rod at a time could be placed in the housing.

Referring again to FIG. 6, the surface 137 of the cavity 136 defines a first section 137 a with a first radius of curvature, a second section 137 b with a second radius of curvature, and a third section 137 c with a third radius of curvature. In this respect, the plurality of radii of curvature defines a compound curve that provides two or more lines of contact on a plurality of different diameter rod members 160 (e.g., rod members 160 a, 160 b) without creating a stress riser in the anvil 130 when any one of a plurality of different diameter rod members 160 is positioned adjacent the compound curve.

The outer surface 132 a of the anvil 130 may have a non-round shape, e.g., slightly elliptical, to prevent disorientation of the anvil 130 when positioning the rod member 160 adjacent the anvil 130.

As assembled, the bone screw member is fastenable to a bone structure (e.g. vertebra) and the housing 110 is repositionable in a plurality of directions with respect to the bone screw member 140 as discussed above. To this end, the housing 110 is rotatable about the longitudinal axis “L” (see FIGS. 1 and 3) extending through the polyaxial pedicle screw 100 as well as pivotable relative to the longitudinal axis “L” and the bone screw member 140. A rod member 160, e.g., a spinal rod, is positionable in the U-shaped channel 111 of the housing 110 and is nested against the arcuate surfaces of the anvil 130 as discussed above. The rod member 160 is then secured to the polyaxial pedicle screw 100 using a set screw 150 (FIG. 8). To be more specific, the set screw 150 is inserted into a proximal side of opening 112 of the housing 20 adjacent the opposing walls 110 a, 110 b and rotated such that a distal end of the set screw 150 contacts the surface of the rod member 160 and drives the rod member 160 and the anvil 130 towards the head 142 of the bone screw member 140. Once the desired angular position of the housing 110 is reached, the set screw 150 is tightened further, which compresses the rod member 160, the anvil 130, and the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 within a recess 117 of the housing 110. The frictional engagement between the head 142 of the bone screw member 140 and the bottom portion 134 b of the anvil 130 fixes the angular relationship between the housing 110 and the bone screw member 140.

With reference to FIGS. 9-12, one embodiment of polyaxial pedicle screw is generally referred to as 200. Polyaxial pedicle screw 200 is substantially similar to polyaxial pedicle screw 100 and is only described herein to the extent necessary to describe the differences in construction and operation thereof. Polyaxial pedicle screw 200 includes a housing 210, a bone screw member 140, an anvil 230, and a compression ring or cap 120. The housing 210 has one or more slots 212 defined on an inner surface 216 of the housing 210. The slots 212 may extend continuously and/or discontinuously along opposing walls 210 a and 210 b and/or along a collar 214. The anvil 230 includes one or more flaps 236, one or more grooves 238, and one or more protuberances 234 on an outer surface 232 of the anvil 230. Like flaps 138 b, flaps 236 are movable in response to an applied pressure. The protuberances 234 and the slots 212 are engagable to maintain the alignment of the anvil 230 with respect to the housing 210 when the anvil 230 is positioned within the housing 210. One can appreciate that an aligned or substantially aligned arrangement of the anvil 230 with respect to the housing 210 maintains the U-shaped channel 111 in a position to receive a rod member 160 that is aligned with the polyaxial pedicle screw 200. As depicted in FIG. 11, the flaps 236 and grooves 238 may be aligned or substantially aligned with the protuberances 234.

With reference to FIG. 13, one embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw, generally referred to as polyaxial pedicle screw 300, is substantial similar to polyaxial pedicle screws 100, 200 and is only described herein to the extent necessary to describe the differences in construction and operation thereof. Polyaxial pedicle screw 300 includes a housing 210, a bone screw member 340, an anvil 230 (see FIG. 11), and a compression ring or cap 120. As illustrated in this embodiment, bone screw member 340 includes a head 142 (see FIG. 2) and a threaded shaft 344. The threaded shaft 344 includes a first threaded segment 344 a and a second threaded segment 344 b.

With reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, one embodiment of a polyaxial pedicle screw, generally referred to as polyaxial pedicle screw 400, is substantial similar to polyaxial pedicle screws 100, 200, 300 and is only described herein to the extent necessary to describe the differences in construction and operation thereof. Polyaxial pedicle screw 400 includes a housing 210, a bone screw member 440, an anvil 430, and a compression ring or cap 120. Bone screw member 440 includes a head 442 and a threaded shaft 444. The head 442 includes a first portion 442 a and a second portion 442 b. The second portion 442 b includes surface texture 443, e.g., serrations, to facilitate the frictional engagement with the anvil 430 and/or the housing 210 such that a user is required to apply some minimal force to move the bone screw member 440 relative to the anvil 430 and/or the housing 210. In this respect, the bone screw member 440 frictionally engages with the anvil 430 such that a user applied force (e.g., beyond gravity forces) is necessary to reposition the bone screw member 440 relative to the anvil 430 when the bone screw member 440 is disposed in engagement with the anvil 430.

As best depicted in FIG. 15, the anvil 430 includes a body 432. The body 432 includes a pair of opposing grooves 434, a pair of opposing flaps 436, and a pair of opposing protuberances 438. The body 432 also defines a pair of notches 435 that extend along each protuberance 438. The opposing flaps 436 each include a protuberance 436 a positioned between a pair of notches 436 b. The protuberance 436 a and pair of notches 436 b may be aligned or substantially aligned with protuberances 438 and pair of notches 435, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 15.

With reference to FIGS. 18-21, one embodiment of polyaxial pedicle screw is generally referred to as 500. Polyaxial pedicle screw 500 is substantially similar to polyaxial pedicle screws 100, 200, 300, 400 and is only described herein to the extent necessary to describe the differences in construction and operation thereof. Polyaxial pedicle screw 500 includes a housing 510, a compression ring or cap 520, an anvil 530, a bone screw member 540, and one or more pins 550. The housing 510 is positionable on a head 542 of the bone screw member 540. The housing 510 defines one or more pin channels 512 therethrough for the reception of a pin 550 to secure at least a portion of the anvil 530 within the housing 510.

As shown in FIGS. 19-21, the anvil 530 includes a first wedge member 532 and a second wedge member 534. The first and second wedge members 532, 534 are separate and distinct sections of the anvil 530, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 20. Each wedge member 532, 534 is positionable within the housing 510 adjacent the head 542 to facilitate the securement of the head 542 of the bone screw member 540 and a rod member 160 (see FIG. 13) within the housing 510. Each wedge member 532, 534 defines one or more pin pockets 536 in an outer surface 535 thereof. In this respect, a pin 550 is positionable within the one of the pin channels 512 and one of the pin pockets 536 to maintain one of the first and second wedge members 532, 534 within the housing 510, as best illustrated in FIG. 21. As can be appreciated, any number of wedge members, pins, and/or pin channels may be utilized. In this embodiment, the head 542 of the bone screw member 540 need not be configured to have both cylindrical and spherical shaped sections, and the entire head 542 can be substantially spherical. During assembly, each wedge 532, 534 is disposed within the housing 510 in its proximal—most position, such that the spherical head 542 may enter a bottom opening 514 of the housing 510 unimpeded. Once the head 542 is inserted, the wedges 532, 534 drop from their proximal position to embrace the head 542 and prevent the head 542 from being withdrawn from the housing 510.

A kit of the presently disclosed polyaxial pedicle screws may include two or more polyaxial pedicle screws of the present disclosure and one or more rod members 160.

As can be appreciated, any portion of any of the presently disclosed polyaxial pedicle screws can be formed of formed of titanium, titanium alloy, stainless steel, cobalt chrome, or other metal or polymeric materials. In this regard, it is also appreciated that utilizing a combination of compatible materials in the screw assembly may be advantageous. Thus, it is contemplated that the housing could be made of a harder or stiffer material such as cobalt chrome, while the screw and anvil and set screw may be made of another, compatible material such as titanium or titanium alloy. Further, components of any of the presently disclosed embodiments may be press fit, staked, pinned, or welded together.

While several embodiments of the disclosure have been shown in the drawings, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A polyaxial pedicle screw, comprising: a housing; a bone screw member including a head and a threaded shaft extending from the head, the head being selectively securable within the housing; and an anvil positionable within the housing adjacent to the head of the bone screw member when the anvil and the head of the bone screw member are positioned within the housing, the anvil defining at least one groove in an outer surface of the anvil, the groove defining at least one flap, the at least one flap being flexibly attached to the anvil to enable the anvil to flex an amount sufficient to maintain the head of the bone screw member in constant contact with the anvil when the bone screw member is moved relative to the anvil.
 2. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 1, wherein the anvil defines a cavity having a surface with a plurality of radii of curvature to accommodate variously sized rod members.
 3. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 2, wherein the surface of the cavity defines a first section with a first radius of curvature, a second section with a second radius of curvature, and a third section with a third radius of curvature such that the plurality of radii of curvature defines a compound curve that provides at least two lines of contact on a plurality of different diameter rod members.
 4. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the anvil has a non-round shape to prevent disorientation of the anvil when positioning a rod member adjacent the anvil.
 5. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 1, further comprising a set screw positionable within the housing to secure a rod member within the housing adjacent the anvil.
 6. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 1, wherein the bone screw member is positionable at a plurality of angles relative to the housing when engaged to the housing and securable relative to the housing at a cone angle of up to approximately 80 degrees.
 7. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 6, wherein the head of the bone screw member includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein only one of the first and second portions enable the head to fit through an opening defined in the housing and the other of the first and second portions maintains the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted.
 8. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 7, wherein one of the first and second portions is cylindrically shaped and the other of the first and second portions is spherically shaped, the cylindrically shaped portion enabling the head to fit through the opening in the housing and the spherically shaped portion maintaining the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted.
 9. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 8, further comprising a cap securable to the housing to prevent the bone screw member from re-orienting to a position in which the cylindrically shaped portion of the screw head is aligned with the housing opening.
 10. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 9, wherein the housing includes a collar extending therefrom, the collar defining a cut out to facilitate the positioning of the head within the housing, the cap being securable to the collar to cover the cut out after the head of the bone screw member is positioned within the housing.
 11. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 1, wherein the anvil includes a protuberance on the outer surface of the anvil and the housing defines a slot on an inner surface of the housing, the protuberance and the slot being engagable to maintain the alignment of the anvil with respect to the housing.
 12. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 1, wherein the head of the bone screw member includes surface texture that frictionally engages with the anvil such that a user applied force is necessary to reposition the bone screw member relative to the anvil when the bone screw member is disposed in engagement with the anvil.
 13. A polyaxial pedicle screw comprising: a bone screw member having a threaded shaft and a head; a housing positionable on the head of the bone screw member and defining at least one pin channel therethrough; at least one wedge member positionable within the housing adjacent the head to facilitate the securement of the head of the bone screw member and a rod member within the housing; the at least one wedge member defining at least one pin pocket in an outer surface thereof; and at least one pin positionable within the at least one pin channel and the at least one pin pocket to maintain the at least one wedge member within the housing.
 14. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 13, further comprising a set screw threadably engagable with an inner surface of the housing to secure a rod member adjacent the wedge member.
 15. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 13, further comprising a first wedge member and a second wedge member, each of the first and second wedge members positionable adjacent the head of the bone screw member.
 16. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 15, wherein the first wedge member and the second wedge member define a cavity having a surface with a plurality of radii of curvature to accommodate variously sized rod members.
 17. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 16, wherein the surface of the cavity defines a first section with a first radius of curvature, a second section with a second radius of curvature, and a third section with a third radius of curvature.
 18. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 13, wherein the bone screw member is positionable at a plurality of angles relative to the housing when engaged to the housing and securable relative to the housing at a cone angle of up to approximately 80 degrees.
 19. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 13, wherein the head of the bone screw member includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein only one of the first and second portions enable the head to fit through an opening defined in the housing and the other of the first and second portions maintains the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted.
 20. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 19, wherein one of the first and second portions is cylindrically shaped and the other of the first and second portions is spherically shaped, the cylindrically shaped portion enabling the head to fit through the opening in the housing and the spherically shaped portion maintaining the head of the bone screw member within the housing once inserted.
 21. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 20, further comprising a cap securable to the housing to prevent the bone screw member from re-orienting to a position in which the cylindrically shaped portion of the head of the bone screw member is aligned with the housing opening.
 22. A polyaxial pedicle screw comprising: a bone screw member including a head having a threaded shaft extending from the head, the head including a first portion and a second portion; a housing positionable on the head of the bone screw, the housing having a distal opening, wherein the first head portion is configured and dimensioned to pass through the housing distal opening and the second head portion is configured and dimensioned not to pass through the housing distal opening.
 23. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 22, wherein the first head portion includes a substantially cylindrically shaped section.
 24. The polyaxial screw of claim 23, wherein the cylindrically shaped section defines a diameter that is less than the diameter of the housing distal opening.
 25. The polyaxial screw of claim 24, wherein the housing further defines a collar extending from the distal end of the housing and defining a cut out section, whereby the screw assumes an insertion position with the neck of the screw disposed in the cut out section with the cylindrically shaped section of the head aligned with the housing distal opening.
 26. The polyaxial screw of claim 22 wherein the second head portion defines a diameter larger than the diameter of the housing distal opening.
 27. The pedicle screw of claim 26, wherein the second head portion includes a substantially spherical section.
 28. The pedicle screw of claim 22, further comprising an anvil positionable within the housing adjacent to the head of the bone screw member when the anvil and the head of the bone screw member are positioned within the housing, the anvil defining at least one groove in an outer surface of the anvil, the groove defining at least one flap, the at least one flap being flexibly attached to the anvil to enable the anvil to flex an amount sufficient to maintain the head of the bone screw member in constant contact with the anvil.
 29. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 28, wherein the anvil defines a cavity having a surface with a plurality of radii of curvature to accommodate variously sized rod members.
 30. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 29, wherein the surface of the cavity defines a first section with a first radius of curvature, a second section with a second radius of curvature, and a third section with a third radius of curvature such that the plurality of radii of curvature defines a compound curve that provides at least two lines of contact on a plurality of different diameter rod members.
 31. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 28, wherein the outer surface of the anvil has a non-round shape to prevent disorientation of the anvil when positioning a rod member adjacent the anvil.
 32. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 28, further comprising a set screw positionable within the housing to secure a rod member within the housing adjacent the anvil.
 33. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 28, wherein the bone screw member is positionable at a plurality of angles relative to the housing when engaged to the housing and securable relative to the housing at angles within a cone angle of up to approximately 80 degrees.
 34. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 28, further comprising a cap securable to the housing to prevent the bone screw member from re-orienting to a position in which the screw head first portion is aligned with the housing distal opening.
 35. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 28, wherein the anvil includes a protuberance on the outer surface of the anvil and the housing defines a slot on an inner surface of the housing, the protuberance and the slot being engagable to maintain the alignment of the anvil with respect to the housing.
 36. The polyaxial pedicle screw of claim 28, wherein the head of the bone screw member includes surface texture that frictionally engages with the anvil such that a user applied force is necessary to reposition the bone screw member relative to the anvil when the bone screw member is disposed in engagement with the anvil without a rod in the housing.
 37. A method of assembling a pedicle screw comprising: providing a pedicle screw including: a bone screw member including a head having a threaded shaft extending from the head, the head including a first portion and a second portion; a housing positionable on the head of the bone screw, the housing having a distal opening, wherein the first head portion is configured and dimensioned to pass through the housing distal opening and the second head portion is configured and dimensioned not to pass through the housing distal opening; positioning the screw relative to the housing such that the first housing portion is aligned with the housing distal opening; inserting the screw head through the housing distal opening with the first head portion aligned with the distal opening; rotating the screw relative to the housing such that the first head portion is no longer aligned with the housing distal opening and the second head portion prevents the screw head from exiting through the distal opening.
 38. The method of claim 37, further comprising mounting a collar onto the housing with the screw head disposed in the housing to prevent the screw from reassuming the position with the cylindrically shaped section aligned with the housing distal opening. 